Robin conrad sturm

Robin Conrad Sturm began her training at the Washington School of the Ballet and is a graduate of the Academy of the Washington School of the Ballet. She was a full scholarship student at the American Ballet Theatre School and the School of American Ballet in New York City. She received a soloist contract with the Hanover Opera Ballet in Germany and was a principle dancer with the Washington Ballet, of which she was a founding member. As a principle dancer with the Washington Ballet, Ms. Sturm originated many lead roles in the ballets of famed choreographer Choo San Goh, including “Introducing”, “Fives”, and “Synonyms.” She performed principle roles in many other ballets, including Heinz Claus’s “Carmina Burana,” Balanchine’s “Serenade,” and Goh’s “Octet.” She also appeared as a soloist in Jerome Hines’s opera, “I Am the Way,” at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.

Ms. Sturm has been on the ballet faculty at the Washington School of the Ballet and the American University in Washington, D.C. Ms. Sturm and her husband, Robert, were the founding directors of the Masterworks Festival that has become one of the nation’s largest summer programs for classical music and dance. Ms. Sturm is currently a principle dancer and co-director of the Asaph Dance Ensemble. Ms. Sturm was the choreographer for the Asaph’s Handel’s “Messiah,” which was a Washington, D.C. tradition for many years and attracted thousands of people every Christmas season.

Robin Conrad Sturm is the artistic Director of the NVDA and enthusiastically endeavors to pass on her training and experience to her students. Many students from the Academy achieve placement in prestigious summer programs; among them, the programs at American Ballet Theatre, Joffrey Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Washington Ballet, Boston Ballet and North Carolina Dance Theater. Other students have become professional choreographers in New York or have joined professional touring companies of Broadway musicals.

robert sturm

Robert Sturm holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theater from Indiana University and a Masters Degree in Performing Arts/Dance from American University, where he was awarded "Most Outstanding Graduate" by the Washington Performing Arts Society. He has appeared as a guest soloist with the Washington Ballet and was a principle dancer with Choreo 18, as well as one of the company's choreographers. Mr. Sturm choreographed the Washington, DC and Russian premieres of Jerome Hines's opera, "I Am the Way," performed at the George Mason Center for the Arts and the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. He also directed the world premiere of Patrick Kavanaugh's, "The Last Supper," presented at the Washington Folger Shakespeare Theater. Mr. Sturm has choreographed numerous works for various modern dance companies and also a CBS television special. As a Co-Director of the Asaph Dance Ensemble, his choreographed versions of the Stravinsky's "Symphony of Psalms", Bach's "Magnificat", Mozart's "Requiem," Kavanaugh's "Song of Songs" and others have all premiered at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC.